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Wednesday, June 29, 2005
NATIVE NEW YORKER (12" Version)
Odyssey
RCA : 1977
[Buy it]
NEW YORK AT LAST
Queen vs. Freddie Mercury
Smash
NEW YORK GROOVE
Ace Frehley
Ace Frehley
1978
[Buy it]
NEW YORK (YA' OUT THERE) [Alternate Version]
12" ?
Rakim
Not on Label
BACK IN N.Y.C.
Genesis
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
1975
[Buy it]
AIN'T NO LOVE IN THE HEART OF THE CITY
Bobby Bland
ABC Dunhill : 1974
Greatest Hits, Vol. 2: The ABC-Dunhill/MCA Recordings
[Buy it]
Unlike Alex I didn't grow up here. But NY has a reputation as a place that people come to pursue their dreams, so I moved up here to leech off the dreamer-vibes of others while not really pursuing any dreams of my own. Also, unlike Alex I don't really listen to lyrics too good, so almost all my songs have the words "New York" actually in the title. And only 2 of the artists featured in this post really comes from New York. Native schmative.
Bobby Bland is from Memphis and almost certainly isn't talking about NYC in "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City". But it makes me think of New York, possibly because Jay-Z re-made it a few years back. And Old Man Pepsi Dick is building a basketball stadium in my backyard and thats New York enough for me. Ace Frehley is from the Bronx or maybe Outer Space, depending on when you last renewed your Kiss Army membership. Ace was always my fav Kiss member growing up. Also Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were my favorites. If you ever get a chance to see the documentary "Tribute" please jump at it. Its a tragi-comic look at cover bands struggling to make it by. Best part (of many best parts) is that in the Kiss cover band, the Paul Stanley is a black guy. Thats the f**kin American dream right their son.
Queen isn't even American, but Freddie Mercury is as New York to me as Lou Reed. Like a gay Lou Reed. Or a gayer Lou Reed. I was never a huge Queen guy but my heart breaks whenever I hear this guy sing. This genius mash up, via Smash, uses the vocal line from a Freddie Mercury demo called "New York," which can be found on Freddie's solo box set here. New York City for Freddie is conceived as pure emotion and energy. The song is a passion play, where Freddie is pursuing and pursued by the city at the same time. "New York, you're gaining on me, New York, you're just that one step far away..." Its a place that saps as it rejuvenates. You could argue that its cheezy as hell but then you'd be a jaded hipster, you jaded hipster neo-rockist asshole gayhater. This song is awesome. Maybe even as awesome as "Native New Yorker," via Odyssey, a soft dance pop band that were mostly born in the Caribbean. When I listen to this song I get to escape into the fantasy life of an aging 70s dancing queen. I struggle to scrape out a living during the day, and chase love through the night. I may look soft under the disco lights, in my billowy satin blouse, but all those bittersweet yesterdays have left me hard as nails.
As for UKs Genesis, well what can I say about Genesis that shouldn't have been said already? Actually, they have some pretty decent early songs, this one included, with Peter Gabriel before he went solo and well before he started humiliating his old man. A clever Amazon reviewer claims this song "foreshadowed the rage of punk, but in 7/8 time."
Rakim's "New York (Ya Out There)" is a head-nodding valentine to the street. This version is an alternate (and I reckon superior) mix to the original single, which you can find on the Boiler Room soundtrack. Im not sure where I got this version to be honest. But I do know that the chorus is spoken like a true New Yorker:
"New York... No Doubt"
posted by James
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